JNIM Militants Kill Over 850 in Two Months Across Sahel Region, Including Burkina Faso
By Myra Okafor | SpringNewsNG Media Limited | July 24, 2025
OUAGADOUGOU – A massive surge in jihadist violence by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)—an al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group—has resulted in the deaths of over 850 people across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger between May and June 2025, according to a confidential security report obtained by Reuters.
The figures, independently verified by local NGOs and security sources, indicate that the Sahel region is experiencing its deadliest wave of attacks in nearly two years.
In Burkina Faso alone, the eastern and northern provinces were heavily targeted, with dozens of villages overrun, hundreds of civilians displaced, and government security outposts destroyed.
Shift in Jihadist Strategy
Security analysts warn that JNIM has shifted tactics from guerrilla ambushes to sustained assaults and territorial expansion, aiming to establish control near strategic highways and semi-urban towns.
“JNIM now wants more than chaos—they want governance,” said Dr. Emile Kaboré, a security researcher at the Ouagadougou Policy Institute. “They are setting up their own courts, tax systems, and recruitment centers in areas the state can no longer protect.”
The government, already under strain from years of conflict and political instability, continues to struggle with logistics, manpower, and coordination, despite increased military recruitment.
International assistance has waned following the expulsion of French troops and UN peacekeepers, leaving Burkina Faso and its neighbors with limited external support.
With no clear end in sight, humanitarian agencies warn of a looming disaster. Over 2.3 million people are currently displaced, with more expected if the violence escalates during the rainy season.
Burkina Faso continues to stand at a critical crossroads: struggling to restore state authority, defend against violent extremism, and preserve democratic values in the face of growing autocracy.
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